Day 3

We were finally able to get started at a reasonable hour. The ride to Durango was only about 60 miles and there were only two modest climbs. There must have been a tailwind because the day seemed easier than it should have been.

There were disappointments, however, on this otherwise perfect day. Although US160 had an ample shoulder, traffic was heavy, especially near Pagosa Springs and Durango. I had another flat tire and I broke another spoke. Furthermore, my new cell phone could never get a signal--even when we were sitting directly under a tower. We eventually determined that the phone didn't work because it was digital-only and that technology had not reached these remote areas yet.

The run in to Durango was fast and fun. But the last half mile to Fort Lewis College was almost straight up. Still, it was worth it. We picked out a spot on the lawn around the dorms and pitched our tents.

I had reserved a rental car for us to use the next day on our day off, so after cleaning up we took a shuttle down into town and found the rental car place. We ate dinner at a brew pub downtown and headed back up the hill. A band was performing at the school's outdoor concert shell, but the weather started deteriorating and they had to quit. Soon there was thunder and lightning and strong winds. I was worried about my tent blowing away so I crawled inside and rode out the storm (I didn't bring tent stakes so I used screwdrivers to pin my tent to the ground--they worked well). Finally, the storm passed and I was able to relax and go to sleep.

The sprinklers started going off at about 3am. Fortunately, the sprinkler heads under our tents had been turned off, but some of the others near us were not so lucky. Some tents were being blasted from point-blank range, but no one came out and moved them.